Alternative Money Making Approaches for Musicians Failing to Sell Records
There is no doubt music sales have changed enormously since the changeover to digital downloads. Being able to buy individual songs at the touch of a button has seriously limited the scale of full album sales. While this can be hugely successful for some musicians with hit singles, failing to consistently sell records can be the downfall of any artist's career.
How does one begin to compete with the digital market if record sales aren't on your side? Create your own buzz. Offer something different to your fans. Sieze every opportunity you have to meaningfully engage with your audience. Do so in a way that allows them to give back to your music and be a part of your digital imprint. Join the conversation on MusicThinkTank.com as Mackenzie Carlin discusses innovative ways to get the most out of your music.
"In order to survive in this environment of piracy, musicians must think outside of the box, taking advantage of social media, mobile technology, merchandising and, of course, live performances. Together, these elements can spell great profit, even in an age of iTunes and illegal downloading."
In Shakespeare’s day, there was nothing but live performances. Recordings were out of the question technologically. If actually bands would make lesser recordings (and make sure their live performances don’t equally get pirated, which is a real problem that hard to counter and one Shakespeare also did not have to struggle with) then, provided they found a way to get noticed first and have a good impresario, they might be able to charge relatively more in entrance fees as well as draw larger crowds (who otherwise didn’t get to hear them). But it will take some years at least until the market is shaken up (and down) enough and the dust begins to settle on a new model.